Whether you decided to fix a basement in your home for extra rental income or flip a house you just bought, it’s important to think about your floors before you dive into your rehab funds. If you want a great return on your investment, you have to include Flooring options that work well for your budget when you’re rehabbing or flipping your home.

The great news is that you don’t have to come up with the best flooring ideas on your own. Experienced fix and flippers have been where you are and offer great advice on keeping your house flip under control and under budget.

Here are some of the best flooring options we’ve learned from Fix and Flippers:

Take a Cue from Your Neighbors for Comparable Flooring Options

The Flooring Options you choose for your home rehab project can easily make or break the bank. If you opt for high-end options, you can cut into your budget by the thousands (and even tens of thousands of dollars). Instead, take note of the flooring options your neighbors are using and compare the composites or comps of similar house flips. A quick online search can often reveal the types of floors your neighbors are installing in their flipped homes. For instance, if you notice the comps in your neighborhood are install solid floors made of ceramic, don’t expect to drive interest in your home if you install wall-to-wall carpeting. It doesn’t matter if the carpet is plush.

You can easily cut into your budget by investing in expensive flooring. Also, if your neighbors are putting in better flooring options and ones that buyers in the neighborhood want, you’ll easily waste your money and time and risk losing a sale. Instead, stay within your budget and the buyers’ expectations by opting for similar flooring. Also, check home décor magazines and television shows or channels, such as HGTV, House Beautiful, Elle Décor or Architectural Digest for more flooring option ideas.

Use High-end Flooring Where It Counts

While it’s not uncommon to see flippers choosing inexpensive flooring to save money, it’s important to know that you still want to invest in flooring where it counts. For instance, if you know the comps in your neighborhood have hard flooring installed, then it doesn’t make sense to install wall-to-wall carpet in the home. You can potentially lose the sale of your house flip if the buyer doesn’t want a fully-carpeted home and has to dole out more money to change the flooring.

Expose any hard flooring or consider installing hard flooring options, such as engineered wood flooring or luxury vinyl flooring or LVF that can mimic the look of solid hardwood. Install the high-end flooring options in rooms that drive the most value in the home, such as the kitchen or bathroom. One key lesson fix and flippers deliver is that investing where it counts can drive up the value of your home.

If you’re short on cash, you don’t have to let that deter you from completing your house rehab project. Even if you don’t have the money upfront, you can get financing to install high-end flooring. Just make sure you can meet the approval terms, review the interest and fees and make sure the financing falls within your overall budget for the house flip.

Use Laminate for Heavy-Traffic Areas

When you’re considering which floor to install in your house flip, it’s key to think about how much foot traffic the floors will get. Rooms with high-foot traffic need durable floors that can endure frequent wear-and-tear. So, consider floors that are built with longevity in mind. This couple transformed their basement to transform it into a movie room and opted for installing laminate floors and for good reasons.

Their basement-turned-movie room is a high-traffic area where the family meets and enjoys their time on the weekend. The floor needed to be able to stand the test of time and have the durability to withstand children running across the floor and playing in the room. One tip to ensure you don’t damage your investment is to paint your walls before installing the laminate floor. That way any paint drips won’t leave a lasting mark on your new floors.

Use Functional Floors Based on the Room

Another important consideration when rehabbing your home is thinking about how each room will be used. You want to use flooring options that work best for that room instead of only considering the aesthetics. For example, if your house flip will have an exercise room, consider installing rubber tiles that can endure the impact of jumping jacks or heavy equipment. If your house flip has a large walk-in closet, consider installing plush wall-to-wall carpeting. This makes it comfortable for the residents to walk on in a room that may only be used as storage.

Also, think about where the flooring will be installed. For example, if your house flip has a second floor, installing flooring that helps reduce noise can help create a comfortable environment. For instance, you don’t want to install carpet or hardwood in an area that has high humidity, such as the laundry room. The tenants will use this room for washing and drying clothes, and if it’s a tight space that they use often, it can increase the potential for the growth of mold and damage to the floor with the wrong flooring options. Also, if the washing machine breaks down and busts a hose, water can easily damage the floor.

As an alternative, consider putting flooring that works for the room, such as water-resistant tiles. It’s also worth considering who or what will be walking on the floors. For example, if you are flipping your home to transform it into a rental and the renters have children or pets, consider whether or not the flooring option you’re choosing can accommodate the tenants. For example, cats, dogs and babies can easily have accidents on the floor, including soiling a carpet or slipping on the floor.

Pets can also easily scratch or damage floors if they like to dig or play in the home or have overgrown nails. Consider installing flooring that works for a variety of tenants, such as slip-resistant flooring that’s easy to maintain. For instance, laminate flooring often makes a great choice for pets and children thanks to its ability to resist water and scratches.

Go for Click-in Style Flooring

When you’ve just invested in a property that has terrible floors but is in a high-end neighborhood, it’s key to get a replacement that’s simple to install and gives the look of luxury. You can achieve this with click-in style flooring made of engineered wood tiles. Engineered wood tiles provide the advantage of delivering a high-end look with a quick-to-install method.

It’s also a great surface with a comfortable underfoot. You can install it without grout and use clickable options to save time during the installation process. It’s also less expensive than solid wood and can be more versatile since wood can’t go over every type of surface. For example, you can install engineered wood tiles over concrete floors, unlike solid wood.

This flooring option also helps keep moisture at bay, so you don’t have to worry about water damage. This makes it suitable for areas that are prone to spills, such as your kitchen or bathroom.

Choose Water-Resistant Flooring for Moisture-Prone Areas

One of the worst parts about a flip is realizing you have to pull up a floor you installed due to water damage. If you’re planning to rent your flip year-after-year, then it’s critical to invest in waterproof floors or floors that can resist moisture. This means you’ll need to avoid natural flooring options, such as stone, solid wood or bamboo floors. Fix and flipper pros know that this is critical to getting the most out of your investment. So, make sure you achieve this by opting for flooring options that keep water damage at bay.

You can choose from a variety of different flooring options, including laminate floors, vinyl plank tiles and even engineered wood. It’s especially important to install these types of floors in rooms that are prone to moisture, such as a basement, kitchen or bathroom. Without the right water repellant flooring, mildew and mold can grow in your house flip. This can cause health issues for your tenants and be very expensive to repair.

Avoid these issues from the start by opting for floors waterproof floors. For example, you can have ceramic tile installed in your kitchen or bathroom. It comes in several color choices and it’s resistant to water. You can also easily install it over concrete. Just make sure that the concrete doesn’t have any cracks on the surface. With a smooth surface, you can level the flooring installation for a proper fit.

Move Fast with a Quick-to-Install Floors

The professional house flipper knows that time is money, and if you’re trying to get the most value for your home, it’s important to get your floor installed as soon as you can. With a proper floor installed, you can help potential buyers have a better idea of what their furniture and other home furnishings would look like if they were to live in the home. Move fast with the installation process by choosing floors that are quick to install, such as laminate floors or plank vinyl flooring.

Make your installation even faster by opting for a professional flooring company that offers next-day installation services. Also, consider using a professional flooring company that makes the process of selecting flooring options easy by bringing it to your home. For example, Express Flooring helps you streamline the flooring selection and installation process by bringing the samples to your home during an in-home consultation.

Express Flooring aims to provide superior service that’s convenient for your Arizona home flip with design consultants who provide you have several large flooring samples right in the comfort of your home. They’ll also help you get an accurate estimate so you’re staying within your house flip budget and help you set up your install as soon as possible. It’s also worth using a professional flooring company to help you ensure you stay on time with your house flip deadlines.

Make the Flooring Match Your Home

When the flooring doesn’t match your home, it can turn potential buyers off from your house flip. It also can be an unnecessary expense that can take away from your budget. Experienced flippers know often invest in entry-level homes and avoid investing in extravagant floors that can take away from their bottom-line profits. Make your investment count by taking a cue from the tried-and-true methods of fix and flippers and ensure your flooring matches your home. For example, if the home you’re trying to flip is an inexpensive property, consider installing inexpensive flooring options, such as vinyl floors. Also, think about the durability of the flooring option. Carpet is often a choice for many rental properties, but it’s usually not the best option since it easily retains odors. If you’re expecting to have new tenants from your house flip year after year, then consider other inexpensive flooring options that match the functionality and aesthetic of your home.

High-end flooring options, such as LVF or engineered wood, can match the aesthetic of high-end properties better than vinyl or laminate floors. By opting for floors that match your home, you can achieve the overall aesthetic you’re going for and entice potential buyers.

Final Thoughts

Avoid making your house flip a “flop” by first getting properly educated in real estate investing and rehabbing, Then of course, by choosing the right flooring from the start. Learn from the pros and take note of these key lessons from fix and flippers, such as opting for similar flooring options as your neighborhood comps and choosing durable and on-trend flooring, such as LVF and laminate floors. You can also make your house flip a success without breaking the bank by getting help from flooring professionals, such as Express Flooring.

With a goal to give you the best flooring shopping experience, Express Flooring makes choosing a floor for your flip simple. Count on the expertise of Express Flooring design consultants and contractors to help you quickly select and install the best floors for your home. If you’re ready to make a move and save time on your house flip, contact Express Flooring to schedule an in-home estimate and free flooring quote today. You may even qualify for a Vacation Voucher.